The retinoic acid receptors (RARs) are members of the nuclear receptor superfamily and function as ligand-activated transcription factors.
Three main isoforms have been characterized:
• RARα (NR1B1)
• RARβ (NR1B2)
• RARγ (NR1B3)
They bind retinoic acid (the active metabolite of vitamin A) and regulate gene expression programs involved in cell differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis.
RARβ is frequently found to be downregulated or silenced (often by promoter hypermethylation) in several cancers, including lung, breast, and prostate cancers.
• Its loss is thought to contribute to tumor progression by diminishing the retinoid-induced differentiation and apoptosis signals.
Decreased RARβ expression is often associated with a poorer prognosis.
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